THE BALLOON MAN

What's new at this year’s N.C. State Fair?
Deep-friend Samoas, two rides, no-touch policy joins season’s fun

 

Horace Johnson, 68, gets the Apex Lions Club concessions booth ready for food inspectators as preparations are under way for this year's N.C. State Fair in Raleigh on Tuesday, October 2, 2012. This is his 28th year at the fair and the Lions Club's 70th. Usually selling over 9000 biscuits, the fair is their main fundraising event. This year they're introducing a new item; the Yam-ie biscuit made with North Carolina sweet potatoes.
By Brooke Cain
FROM--newsobserver.com
Oct. 07, 2012
RALEIGH The N.C. State Fair is all about tradition for most people. A fried turkey leg or roasted ear of corn. That mandatory ferris wheel ride or tilt-a-whirl. The annual stroll through the livestock barns.
Even with all that tradition, fair goers also expect something more, something new – something that could become another tradition.
As always, fair organizers and Powers Great American Midways does not disappoint.
New eats
How does a deep-fried Girl Scout cookie sound? Delicious, right? S2 Concessions has partnered with the local Pines of the Carolinas Girl Scout chapter to bring us Deep Fried Caramel deLites (aka Samoas). Chocolate, caramel, coconut ... that one can’t miss.
But before dessert, grab a Philly Cheese Steak Egg Roll or Pig Butt on a Stick (a big slab of marinated pork on a stick). The Pig Butt, from a new vendor called Chester’s Gators and Taters, was very popular at the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem.
New on the midway
The midway will offer thrill-seekers two new rides this year: the Genesis and the Rock Star.
The Genesis is faster than a Ferris Wheel, but not too extreme, according to Marc Janus of Powers Great American Midways. So, it should be safe for full tummies.
The Rock Star is a guitar-shaped ride that goes pretty fast. Janus says this one is “blinged out” and better for teenagers and adults.
Both rides are decked out with bright LED lights. In a green note, Janus pointed out that about 80 percent of the lights on their rides have been changed over to the more energy-efficient option.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/10/06/3581506/whats-new-at-this-years-nc-state.html#storylink=cpy